Guided 3-day Hut to Hut Hike Above Lake Lugano

Stunning 3-day hut to hut hike in Ticino! We will hike a section of the Lugano Trekking Tour, which has fantastic panoramic views and very charming mountain huts along the route.

What’s the plan?

Day 1: Lugano – Capanna Pairolo

Meet Otto at Lugano train station and go to Cassarate, Monte Bré station. We start with a nice ride on the historic mountain railway with panoramic views of Lugano. This hut to hut hike starts in Monte Bré with a steep uphill to the summit of Monte Boglia. The descent follows the ridge, all the way to Alpe Bolla, located on a small plateau, and continues towards the beautiful Denti della Vecchia. The Sasso Grande dominates in the middle. The path continues through the dense mountain pine forest. Evening and night at Capanna Pairolo at 1300m above sea level. One of the highlights of this hut is its views of the Monte Rosa and the 4000m peaks of the Mischabel group.

Technical information: 5h, 1000m +, 450m –

Day 2: Capanna Pairolo – Capanna Monte Bar

After a nice breakfast, we will start the hike following a ridge until we leave the woods and catch sight of the limestone cliffs of the Cima dell’Oress. From Alpe di Pianca Bella, we can climb to Cima di Fojorina and enjoy the magnificent view, before starting the steep descent to the Bocchetta di San Bernardo. Then the ascent on the ridge towards Gazzirola begins. From this summit, we can enjoy a wonderful panorama; the area of Lugano, the Magadino plain, Lake Maggiore, and, on the distant horizon, the Alpine chain. We go down along the steep pastures to Alpe Pietrarossa. On a forest road closed to traffic, we reach the Capanna Monte Bar at 1600m above sea level, where we will spend the evening and night.

Technical information: 7h, 1100m +, 850m –

Day 3: Capanna Monte Bar – Tesserete

The last day starts with an ascent to the summit of Monte Bar. The view from here extends over the Isone valley to Lake Maggiore, with Locarno. We stay on the ridge until we reach Motto della Croce, with a view of the nearby Capriasca Valley. Military fortresses that date from WWI and WWII can still be seen along our route. From Alpe Santa Maria we climb up through meadows towards Monte di Bigorio. We will pass the monastery of Santa Maria di Bigorio, the chapels of Via Crucis, the village of Bigorio… until we reach Tesserete. From there we will return home.

Technical information: 5h, 200m +, 1300m –

Requirements

T3 hike. Good physical condition used to hiking with up to 1000m ascent/day.

How to get there?

If you are traveling from Zurich by public transport, we recommend you to take the following transportation.

-Friday: Zurich HB 09:05 – 10:58 Lugano
-Sunday: Tesserete 16:30 – 18:55 Zurich HB – depending on what time the event finishes

Kit list

Day Clothing Essentials

-Hiking boots
-T-shirt
-Hiking trousers or shorts
-Fleece
-Down jacket
-Waterproof jacket
-Waterproof over trousers
-Sun hat
-Sunglasses
-Warm hat
-Buff
-Gloves

Night Essentials

-T-shirt
-Legging or shorts
-Socks
-Sleeping bag liner
-Pillowcase
-Lightweight towel
-Earplugs

Technical gear

-Hiking poles
-Hiking backpack (30-40L)
-Waterproof backpack cover
-Waterproof inner bags or bin bags
-Knife or multitool knife

Electronics

-Charging cables and socket
-Power bank
-Headlamp with spare batteries

Toiletries

-Toothbrush and toothpaste
-Soap / Shampoo
-Toilet paper

F&B

-Water
-Thermal bottle for tea
-Snacks
-Packed lunches

Pharmacy

-Sunscreen and lip protector
-Compeed®
-Plasters and basic medicine
-Hand disinfectant
-Face mask

Wallet

-Cash
-ID
-Health insurance card
-Air rescue membership card (e.g. Rega, Air Glaciers)

Pricing

The price for this 3-day hut to hut hike is CHF 450.

Included in price

-3 days hut to hut hiking with an international mountain leader
-2 nights of accommodation in mountain huts (shared rooms)
-3-course dinner on Friday and Saturday
-Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday

Not included in price

-Transport to Lugano and back from Tesserete
-Cable car to Monte Bre
-Lunches (possibility to buy lunches from both huts)
-Shower tokens
-Drinks and snacks

Group size

Min. 4 participants
Max. 10 participants

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By signing up for this event, you agree that you have read, understood, and will adhere to our Terms and Conditions in the “What we’re about” section of our Meetup group.